Palm's New Wireless Plan

Palm announced yesterday the Palm Mobile Internet Kit, a software app that allows millions of Palm users worldwide to connect wirelessly to the Internet using a mobile phone or a Palm-compatible modem.

The Kit will allow users of any upgradable Palm (the Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm IIIxe and Palm V) to use Palm's Web clipping service (PQA), WAP, and ActualSoft's MultiMail. In order to use these new functions, it also contains an upgrade to OS 3.5. It will be available worldwide later this year for less than $50.

To use the Palm Mobile Internet Kit, users may connect their Palm handheld with a mobile phone via infrared or a cable (sold separately). Many GSM mobile phones from Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson and others offer infrared beaming capabilities and are ready be used with the Palm Mobile Internet Kit today. In addition, several companies offer cables that will connect Palm handhelds and many popular mobile phones from market leaders such as Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola. In addition, the Palm Mobile Internet Kit works with all versions of Palm-branded modems, the Palm V GSM Connect Kit and many Palm-compatible snap-on wireless or wireline modems from third parties, such as Novatel's wireless Minstrel V Modem.

"The Palm Mobile Internet Kit is a major milestone in our drive to make existing Palm handhelds wirelessly enabled by the end of this year,'' said Alan Kessler, chief operating officer, platform and products, for Palm. "An important part of our product strategy is to offer our users a variety of options in their path to wireless connectivity. First, we delivered the Palm VII product for those who wanted an integrated product. This new Mobile Internet Kit is the only option that will offer handheld users everywhere the choice to connect on their own terms, using the wireless technology they already own.''

Palm also announced today that 37 content providers, including 25 new companies, will provide web clipping applications for their popular Internet content packaged with future Palm products, including any new products offering wireless Internet access right out of the box. These content providers include ABCNews.com, Amazon.com, American Airlines, AOL, Ask Jeeves, Barnes & Noble.com, BarPoint, Britannica.com, buy.com, Continental Airlines, CBS MarketWatch.com, Delta Airlines, E*TRADE, ESPN.com, Etak, Excite@Home, Fidelity, Juno, Knight-Ridder.com, Mapquest.com, Merriam-Webster, AOL Moviefone, Prudential, Rovenet.Com, SNAZ, 1-800-TOW-TRUCK, Switchboard.com, ThinAirApps, Ticketmaster, Travelocity, United.com, USATODAY.com, USBanc Shares, Vicinity, weather.com, WSJ/Dow Jones, Yahoo! and Yodlee.com.

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This Bites!

Myddrin @ 6/28/2000 9:25:36 AM #
Well, I think Palm is making a mistake.
They could have announced a palm branded Omni-sky,
and people would have noticed. But instead,
Handspring is going to capture more mind-share
since they are making the bigger announcement.

We are looking at getting a new PalmOS device(for my wife),
and it will probably be a handspring. The reason
I chose a Palm(IIIxe) originally was the immediate availibilty
of wireless solutions. (And that sweet developer's
discount :) ) Now with the new springboard modules,
I don't see any compelling reason for the next device
to be a palm.

Sigh... I might wanna think about dumping the stock too....

RE: This Bites!
Daunted @ 6/28/2000 11:53:33 AM #
Before Jun 27, 2000: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!! ANTICIPATED FROM PALM.
On Jun 27, 2000: Palm introduces "Mobile Internet Kit"
:
:
:
Meanwhile in the land before time: ... Global Pulse already available from handgear.com

IS PALM MOVING TOWARDS COMEDY PRODUCTION OR WHAT???

What a joke

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/28/2000 9:39:44 AM #
This is the big wireless announcement? Palm keeps confirming their inability to innovate with announcements like this. And it only works with web clipping. No thanks.

Palm Announcement???

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/28/2000 9:59:11 AM #
I agree. This is lame. Palm is all over the place. 3, 3e, 5, 5x, 7 (with only 2 megs of ram! Sorry Avant-Go users) now 3c....??? For HOW much?

I'll bet this software won't work on the Visor.

I still like my Visor better. The business plan just seems more cohesive. If this moble plan of palm's takes off, a third party could develop a springboard with the software in no time.

RE: Palm Announcement???
mreed@iol7.com @ 6/28/2000 12:53:28 PM #
I am looking for a second Palm as well and would have already picked a Visor except that you can't upgrade the OS. To me this is a major drawback. If palm comes out with some great new feature with PalmOS all the visor users will be left out. If Palm is worried about Visor (and they should be) this would be a great way to make all the Visor users wish they got a Palm.

Just a symptom . . .

Thomas Keekley @ 6/28/2000 12:56:03 PM #
. . . of overall ills that seem to be befalling our beloved Palm. I agree - they are all over the place with names, features, etc - and in general seem to be falling further out of touch with the market.

This wireless solution is garbage. The 3c was hardly what I expected from a company that said it was "waiting for color til [they] can do it RIGHT!" Whatever.

The Sony may be ugly, but if it (or a future Visor) cooks under the hood, I'll drop Palm in a heartbeat. Brand loyalty only goes so far.

RE: Just a symptom . . .
Brad @ 6/28/2000 1:39:11 PM #
I agree, this is really lame.

Do you know what I thought the announcement was going to be? I thought Palm was going to announce a clip-on modem that worked with the Palm.net service, essentially turning any Palm device into a Palm VII work-alike... Now that would have been much more cool!

(Hey, not everybody has OmniSky coverage!)

Waiting?!?!?!

Joe Schmo @ 6/28/2000 7:49:17 PM #
I had been holding off on purchasing a new handheld until Palm announced it's new wireless solution. This is a solution? This is a joke? Try holding your cell phone in your lap while you hold your palm in your lap and hook them together (while irradiating yourself) to get internet access.

I think I'll stick with my Palm V and an internet capable phone with a phone.com browser.

Is this the best that Palm can do?

And this was the big "wireless" announcement?
One unhappy Scottish palm user @ 6/28/2000 8:37:23 PM #
This is pathetic, Palm.
I have a Vx with MultiMail, Avantgo and Proxiweb add-ons already installed.
Being only a recent convert from the Psion I put off buying either a Palm V modem or mobile phone with built-in modem and infrared port (like the Motorola 7389 tri-band) in the (now vain) hope of a "true" wireless solution from Palm.
As a previous poster rightly pointed out, the data transmission speeds via an IR mobile are pathetic by today's standards...and I don't want to shell out another £100 sterling for the GSM kit for my existing Nokia.
In addition my ISP only has UK access numbers, so can you imagine the bills for downloading my email whilst on overseas business trips?

Fine by me

Christine @ 6/28/2000 9:57:44 PM #
Gee, $299 for OmniSky or less than $50 to plug into my phone. Guess which way I'll go?

Seriously, web clipping is fine with me. The palm can't compete with the desktop for web browsing.... not enough resolution or space. All I need are the basics: Maps on demand, movie listings, news, email, and weather. This will satisfy me for now. IMing will be nice eventually, but I don't need that yet. This is a sensible, economic solution for the average person.

RE: Fine by me
Jack @ 6/28/2000 11:34:04 PM #
Why not simply get a cell phone with an integrated web browser? It will do all you ask and with AT&T, the service is free?
RE: Fine by me
Christine @ 6/29/2000 2:11:07 PM #
I already have a non-web-enabled cell phone. The Palm plan is the best way to make use of my existing hardware.

I was wondering how long it was going to take...

Orbus @ 6/28/2000 11:40:17 PM #
I guess once this comes out, my Pilot Personal has finally, officially started being orphaned?

One of the things I thought Palm had over the PickPocketPCs was that we diden't HAVE to buy a new machine every upgrade cycle - Heck, I gave my P1000 to a friend and he put a 2mb/IR upgrade in it, and is happy!

I guess it was time to get a new machine, anyways. Hope this holds out untill Sony releases a new machine - Right now, I'm stuck between wanting a Visor and a TRGPro, with the TRG Pro in the lead.

I was wondering how long it was going to take...

Orbus @ 6/28/2000 11:40:17 PM #
I guess once this comes out, my Pilot Personal has finally, officially started being orphaned?

One of the things I thought Palm had over the PickPocketPCs was that we diden't HAVE to buy a new machine every upgrade cycle - Heck, I gave my P1000 to a friend and he put a 2mb/IR upgrade in it, and is happy!

I guess it was time to get a new machine, anyways. Hope this holds out untill Sony releases a new machine - Right now, I'm stuck between wanting a Visor and a TRGPro, with the TRG Pro in the lead.

Not lame in Europe...

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/24/2000 3:15:20 AM #
While it may seem 'lame' to provide a GSM (Cell Phone) based solution for Palm in the US, you'll notice that this offering is for Europe.

Mobile / Cell phone take-up in Europe is much higher than in the US, in Scandinavia 70% of the population own mobile / cell phones. Thus providing a cheap (under $50) solution to work with mobile / cell phones makes a lot of sense.

Also, as I'm already carrying a mobile / cell phone, it seems silly to have to carry (and purchase at a far higher cost than a mobile / cell phone) an additional wireless connectivity device (like an OmniSky based solution) to connect my Palm to the net.

Once devices like the Visor GSM SpringBoard Module (currently with no release date in the EU) and the UbiNetics GSM Add-on for the Palm V (with no B2C release date) are commonly available, users who require (or desire) such high levels of intergration can opt for these options, and other users can simply use in conjunction with thei mobile / cell phone.

To conclude, this sort of solution makes a lot of sense in the European market, and should hopefully fuel 3rd party development of integrated voice / data add-ons for the Palm.


Cheers
Russell

Russell K Bulmer
Noble(Star
rbulmer@noblestar
http://noblestar.com


RE: Not lame in Europe...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/25/2000 5:23:36 AM #
I agree. The situation in the rest of the world is different than the US. My mobile phone will
work practically everywhere EXCEPT the US. We all use GSM. Likewise, Palm VIIs don't work outside
North America, unfortunately.

However, the serious drawback of the Palm offering as I see it is the high call charges. The Omnisky
type deals where you get unlimited access for $40 a month sound cheap to me!

Cheers,
Jim Cooper
Tabdee Ltd
http://www.tabdee.ltd.uk

--
Visit the Internet Only Palm Users Group Home Page
http://www.interpug.com/iopug/

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